Irma P. Hall, ‘Soul Food’ Actress, Dies at 91

Irma P. Hall, the actress best known to many viewers as the family matriarch in Soul Food, died on November 10 at age 91. Her family announced her death. No cause was provided.

Hall was born Irma Dolores Player in Beaumont, Texas, on June 3, 1935, and grew up in Chicago. Before pursuing acting full time, she spent 27 years teaching, including as an English and foreign-language teacher in Dallas. She also worked as a reporter for a Dallas newspaper focused on African-American communities.

While teaching, Hall helped found the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre and performed there. She was cast in the 1973 film Book of Numbers after being noticed during a poetry performance. She continued teaching for years before leaving the profession to focus on acting.

Hall drew wider attention for her role in A Family Thing, then became widely associated with Big Mama in the 1997 film Soul Food. The performance earned her an NAACP Image Award. Her screen work also included Beloved, Collateral and Meet the Browns, as well as the television series based on Soul Food.

In The Ladykillers, Hall played Marva Munson, a churchgoing woman who rents a room to a criminal. Cannes' 2004 festival jury bestowed a special prize on her performance. That year, she was seriously injured in a Chicago car accident and underwent surgery to repair a punctured aorta. In 2005, Hall joined the Texas Film Hall of Fame.